Brad growled lowly as he turned his head slowly and looked around nervously, noticing a fair few pairs of narrowed eyes directed at him. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders slightly, forcing himself to relax as he ran his hand through his hair. The fury still smoldered in his eyes but at least his aggression was under control. “Listen, about Ada…” He ground out but Lexi was having none of it and lifted her hand to silence him. “I don’t give a fuck about your excuses and I’m sure Ann doesn’t care to hear them either.” she hissed. “Ann, please... just hear me out!” He pleaded as he twisted to the side to try and catch Ann’s eye. ‘I think we should listen to what he has to say.” Maeve interjected contemplatively. ‘Seriously? You want to hear him out?’ Ann retorted incredulously. ‘Yes. Then I can decide how much pain I want to put him through when I forcibly castrate both him and his cowardly wolf.’ she snarled, her fangs bared. Ann sighed heavily and stood, pl
“Or perhaps I came at the perfect time.” It continued with a hint of amusement. Ann’s eyes widened. She recognized that voice! Of all the times he could have arrived, Alpha Nocturne chose now. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are but this has nothing to do with you so back off!” Brad snarled as he slowly turned around. Ann heard an excited squeal and as she glanced across at Lexi, she noticed that she wore an expression of delighted horror as she stared expectantly at the two males in front of her. Ann wished the ground would swallow her whole where she stood as she turned with morbid interest to see where how this would play out. Adam stood his ground, staring impassively at Brad's shaking figure as it turned to face him. A wry smile found its way onto his face as Brad locked eyes with him and froze. “What… this has nothing to do with you Alpha Nocturne. It’s simply a spat between two mates, that’s all. It’s nothing serious.” Brad offered, the tremor in his voice
“If you kept your hands to yourself I wouldn’t need to...” “Wouldn’t need to what, boy? Make a fool of yourself and give people reason to doubt your capabilities as an Alpha?” Adam snorted. “I’ll make you regret that!” “I’d love to see you try again when you’ve put a little more thought into this…whatever this was.” Brad growled as he finally lay still under Adam’s grip. He was furious. How had he let himself be made such a fool of? His reputation would suffer greatly for this. Alpha Nocturne had already gained himself a reputation as a powerful Alpha and Brad had been looking forward to crushing his arrogance when he ascended to the throne. Now, not only had he shown himself as incapable of that in a moment of fury, but he had also managed to alienate the one person who was truly capable of helping him rise to the throne. Ada was nothing compared to Ann, she didn’t even have a wolf for goddess sake. The packs would never accept her. She would never rule and now he was
“No. Maeve and I are in agreement on this. There’s nothing for me at home. For whatever reason, the relationship between my father and I have broken down and I do not get along well with my stepfamily. My stepmother and her daughter are very much alike.” “What about your mother?” Ann gripped her hands tightly on her seat belt and scowled. She tried her best to hide the hostility from her voice, but some irritation still seeped out. “She’s dead. I’m not ready to talk about it with you yet if you don’t mind Alpha.” Adam glanced sideways at her and nodded again, slowly. “And your friend at the cafe?” He questioned casually. “Oh, that’s Lexi. I’ve known her since school. She’s not affiliated with any packs.” “A rogue? Lone wolf?” Adam questioned curiously. “No,” Ann answered simply. She didn’t want to go into too much detail because she knew the reputation that Daemon hybrids had. The Pack’s hated them because of their ancient ties with sorcery and witchcraft. Although
Adam’s car was waved through the heavily guarded gatehouse without having to stop. The guards stiffened and saluted respectfully as they passed through. Ann felt Maeve’s approval wash through her as they drove through the busy streets of the self contained town. The houses were well maintained, and with a quick glance at the buildings surrounding she could see that the training grounds were being put to good use and from this distance at least seemed to be in good order. Ann noticed a couple of schools on site and frowned. “Alpha…” She began. “Adam, please, Ann.” He interjected flatly with the ghost of a smile on his face. “Yes, of course, sorry, Adam,” She corrected hurriedly, “You have your own schools within the pack?” “Yes. I know it’s unconventional and doesn’t adhere to the guidelines but I want my pack to be able to think for themselves.” He said firmly as he pulled off the road and into a sweeping driveway that nestled between immaculately manicured lawns and fl
Adam waited at the top of the set of stairs that led from the pathway to the veranda that spanned the width of the building. Ann was a little impressed with the size of the main house. Its grey and white brick were accented with black slate rooftops and white pillars ran the length of the veranda, various flowering plants climbing languidly along the screens placed intermittently between them. It probably had more in common with a small palace rather than a mansion, just because of its sheer size. It certainly reminded her of the royal palace, although the architecture and design of this house were far more modern. Ann was a little curious about the need for a 4 storey house, but after the frosty reception she had with her questions about the education provided, she thought she would wait a little longer before she asked anything else. Adam’s demeanor was a little off, and he seemed to be a little cold toward her compared to his earlier warmth. He took her hand firmly, with n
As Adam guided her down the corridor and around the corner, once they were out of sight of the staff members, he abruptly let go of her hand. Ann turned her head to the side slightly, cocking her head as she did so, and eyed him shrewdly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.“Adam, are you annoyed at me?” She asked, a slight hint of amusement in her voice.“No.” He answered curtly, without sparing her a glance. Ann fought the urge to smirk as he huffed loudly and increased his pace to walk a few steps ahead. She ignored Maeve chiding her for irritating him and instead turned her head to look at the decor. So far everything had been tastefully decorated in an oddly satisfying mix of modern design and elegant accents. Sleek lines and original fixtures seemed to blend seamlessly and the place was spotlessly clean.While the atmosphere wasn’t exactly warm and inviting, it did leave the impression that you would be well cared for here. Ann hoped that once she had settled in properly
Ann was true to her word and didn’t leave the suite all night, eventually falling into a deep sleep in the luxuriously soft bed.She was woken abruptly by a sharp knock on the door and, for a few seconds at least, forgot where she was entirely.“Ann, it’s almost eleven. Did you want breakfast in your room or do you want to come down with me?” Adam’s bored tone came from the other side of the door.Ann swore under her breath and hurriedly began untangling herself from her bed sheets.“I’ll be right there! Just… give me a minute...” She yelled back.By the time she opened the door, she was a little flustered.She was greeted by the sight of Adam leaning against the wall opposite her, with his arms folded against his chest casually, and a wry smile plastered on his face.“I don’t think I need to ask if you slept well, do I?” Adam smirked, his eyes sparkling mischievously.Ann glared at him and folded her arms in front of her to mirror his pose.“Suppose I don’t need to ask if you
As their convoy of cars and moving vans rolled up the driveway, Ann's stomach twisted uncomfortably as her anxiety set in. Regardless of what her babies were doing to her insides, the effects that her heightened emotions were having on her far eclipsed any discomfort that her pups were causing. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm the anxiety that knotted her insides and made her heart ache painfully. As far as she knew, her father was still living within the palace and she still wasn't sure that she could forgive him for everything that she had been put through because of his choices. In the worst-case scenario, she could always extend the palace to encompass two main living areas so that she wouldn't have to deal with tolerating his presence. She didn't even want to think about how she would explain to her children that they couldn't ever meet the incredible woman that her mother was because her father had an affair, broke the mating bond, and allowed his mistress and
"Right, I think that's the last of them," Adam grinned as he jogged through the huge doors of the Enclave's entrance hall to where Ann was pacing restlessly and Bartholomew was watching with mild amusement. "Finally," Ann sighed as she rubbed her belly with a grimace, "At this point, all I want to do is get my home back to what it used to be." Adam leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ann's forehead. "Are they making things difficult for you?" He asked gently, rubbing her back. Ann reached for his hand with a scowl and placed it palm down on top of her belly and grimaced as another flurry of movement rippled under her skin and Adam blinked in surprise. "Are they fighting in there?!" He asked in shock. "With two stubborn Alpha's for parents, I wouldn't put it past them." Bartholomew chuckled as he made his way over to them, smiling kindly. Ann lifted her gaze and her face softened as she looked at the kindly face of the old man that had been there for them through so muc
When Coral had returned with the Omega that worked as a nanny to the nobles, the baby boy was handed over to her and she waddled off happily, cooing at the baby in her arms as it gurgled happily back up at her. Coral began to work through updating the schedule for Ann as she dictated, adding additional notes that she shared with Allen's device. He would see to their schedule tomorrow as he had several days worth of reports to hear from Adam as to what had happened within the businesses and the Dark Moon Pack while he was away. Lexi made her way back to her room with both Allen and Greyson following behind her. She paused outside her door and turned to them both with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint boys, but I don't feel like getting frisky right now. Quite honestly, I just want to soak all of this crap off me." They nodded at her as she looked at them thoughtfully. "We really should sit down and have a discussion about how this is going to work between us all, you know." she
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." Ann said a little breathlessly as she looked between Lexi, Allen and Greyson. Adam shared the same concerned expression as she did at the revelations that Eromaug would clearly stop at nothing to get his hands on Lexi. "You're absolutely sure that your father is willing to ally himself with us?" Ann asked as the baby in her arms began to stir and protest at the noise and unfamiliar surroundings it had found itself in. Lexi snorted loudly. "Of course he is. How could he not when his daughter is your right hand woman?" She winked. "We should put it to the council first." Adam said somberly as Lexi groaned loudly. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled at the opportunity," She muttered sarcastically as Ann laughed. "I think we should get hold of Bartholomew so that he can help us find a way to ‘tell' the council of our alliance, rather than ask for their permission." Ann mused thoughtfully, "He's pretty knowledgeable about who supports us,
Ann and Adam stood on the front steps of the Enclave, eagerly waiting for the return of both of their Beta's. Adam chuckled as Ann fidgeted with her hands and struggled to stand still, her gaze fixed on the curve of the driveway. "They'll be here soon, don't worry." He soothed, wrapping his arm around her as she nibbled on her bottom lip. "What if something happened though?" She worried as she rubbed her little bump in an act of self soothing. Adam's eyes glazed over slightly as he linked with Allen and then grinned down at his anxious wife. "Allen said stop worrying, it's not good for the baby. They'll be here in seconds." "But…" As promised, the front end of the transport pulled around the corner of the driveway and Ann let out a sigh of relief. "See, my Queen? Nothing to worry about." Adam chuckled as he watched them pull to a stop in front of them. As soon as the door opened and Lexi's head emerged, Ann broke away from Adam and bolted down the steps towards her.
Lexi knew that she was still conscious, but the pressure that engulfed her head, and the rigidity of her body teamed with the almost distant voices of protest from Allen and Greyson let her know that she had no control over what was happening right now. The initial black curtain that had descended was suddenly filled with hundreds upon hundreds of memories from her childhood, all played out in glorious technicolor and accompanied by sounds and smells that made her heart ache with familiarity and her breath catch in her chest. There was no way that she could catch each and every memory at once, but she could see it clearly. The bond that both she and Eromaug had shared at an early stage was filled with love and an intensity that she had known only with Allen and Greyson. By the time the images had begun to fade in her mind's eye and her vision returned, she was overwhelmed with emotions. As she sat there trembling, clasping her hands together tightly so that she wouldn't cry wit
Lord Brarthroroz guided Lexi over to one of the chairs around the table and gestured towards the flap of the tent. "Make sure no one enters for the time being, Steve." He said with an air of resignation to his voice as he took a seat next to his daughter. Steve nodded expressionlessly as he moved to the open flap, released the material to close it and ducked through to stand outside. "You two should sit as well," Lord Brathroroz advised as he gestured to the seats across from Lexi, "This isn't easy for me to talk about." He continued with a grunt. Greyson and Allen moved to comply and took their seats next to each other, both of them focused on Lexi. Lord Brarthroroz sighed as he turned back to his daughter and cupped her face fondly. "Before I start, I want you to understand that before your mother and I had you, neither of us realized just how deeply we could love and the desire to protect you from harm eclipsed everything else in our lives completely." He said gently a
It hadn't taken their force long to clear the halls and clean up the bodies that were left behind. The losses had been minimal on their part and considering the forces that they had thought they would be up against, their plans had meant that they had been far better equipped than the coven itself. The Coven had left very few prisoners alive, and the ones that were still breathing were in pretty bad shape. Lexi and the other healers and medics had done what they could but there was no growing back limbs…no matter how proficient of a shifter you were. Lord Brarthroroz had stationed huge numbers of his daemons within the winding passageways and caverns that the coven had previously inhabited and returned to the surface with his portalmancer Steve at his side. He strode angrily across the makeshift camp to the command tent and paused at the entrance, glancing across at the medical tent where Lexi had been working. Currently, she was cleaning her hands off as her mates watched
She stood and with one last look at the lifeless body below her, turned her attention to the chaos at the other side of the room. Narcissa had no problems keeping the attacks of the wolves at bay and Lexi could feel the emotions of the past few minutes bubbling wildly inside of her as she stormed towards her, her eyes blazing furiously. Her father was still making little headway against Eromaug, but she wasn't concerned about his survival, he was more than capable of taking care of himself against his bastard of a brother. Narcissa on the other hand…she had a lot to fucking answer for. Lexi strode through the fighters battling the twisted Daemons that had emerged from the shadows, throwing her magick lazily towards the monstrosities as she passed, a sneer curling at her lips as the shifters watched her in terrified awe. It wasn't long until Narcissa noticed her approach and her face split into a sneer that matched Lexi's as she swept her arm in front of her, knocking the ma